New traffic flow scheme for Aurobindo Marg

Pedestrians will now get 15 seconds every two minutes to cross road safely on busy Aurobindo Marg as Delhi traffic police have come up with a traffic circulation plan under which there will be a number of signals-mostly for the pedestrians installed on the stretch in a bid to ease pedestrians’ crossovers.

This arrangement that is being made by Delhi traffic police on recommendations of Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) might appear to be tiresome to the motorists. But according to Delhi traffic police would be a boon for the pedestrians.

“The heavy traffic stretch, which earlier was almost signal-free and a motorist-friendly corridor, is now turning to be a safe zone for pedestrians,” said a traffic police officer.

This would definitely bring down accidents and subsequently make traffic movement better on Aurobindo Marg, believe traffic police.

“The whole circulation plan would benefit thousands of pedestrians at heavy traffic points like AIIMS, Safdarjung, Dilli Haat and Yusuf Sarai Market. Work according the plan has been started a week ago and by end of the month the plan would completely be in place,” he said.

He said that any initial inconvenience faced by the motorists would be over once they become familiar to the new system.

Pedestrian crossing signal near Jor Bagh metro station at Aurobindo Marg has been extended up to the service lane along the main road.

Similar crossovers are being installed near Dilli Haat, gate number 1 of AIIMS hospital, Geeta Mandir area near Yusuf Sarai. Besides, they also have installed a new traffic signal at Balbir Saxena Marg near Green Park metro station to control movement of motorists, said traffic police.

Traffic police also have been considering to operate the traffic signal placed near Masjid on Aurobindo Marg manually to reduce traffic snarls. This signal has been lying defunct since the Commonwealth Games 2010 and EPCA proposed to close it permanently.

“We found out that closing the light permanently would create massive traffic chaos in this area. We are now considering to operate this manually,” said Satyendra Garg, Joint Commissioner of Police (traffic).